Rugby's Biggest Bruisers - Part One

In Part one of our biggest bruisers in rugby we take a look at three players known worldwide for their physicality.

All three players mentioned are well known in the Northern Hemisphere but hail from the South with a Tongan, Samoan and South African all featuring in our first three picks.

1. Opeti Fonua

The Tongan-born SU Agen number 8 is a bruiser of the highest order. Standing at 1.98m and weighing 130kg, this man-mountain dominates all spheres of physicality.

2. Bismarck du Plessis

Having spent the bulk of his career playing in his native South Africa, du Plessis currently plies his trade with Montpellier in the French Top 14. A master in the set-piece, he also displays the skills of a loose-forward and has always been a massive presence in the physical side of the game.

3. Brian Lima

Known as ‘The Chiropractor’ for often rattling his opponents’ bones with brutal tackling, Brian Lima earned himself a well-deserved reputation as a fearsome defender. The first player to participate in 5 World Cups, Lima retired with a total of 64 caps for Samoa and also played in Super Rugby, the English Premiership, the French Top 14 and the Pro 12.